Container



INVENTORL /qqeoLD /75/525 ATTORNYS.

H, L. MYERS CONTAINER Dec@ 17, 1935t I y Filed MaICh 22, 1954 lili MVIIIl/M--- 2 lllllrlrl Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The invention relates to containers of the carton type and more particularly to cartons adapted for containing and merchandising paper sheets as exemplied specially by loose-leaf pages including recesses or openings whereby said pages may be loosely bound in suitable binders. In practice packages consisting of predetermined numbers of loose-leaf pages are arranged for sale in containers and, prior to the actual sale thereof, are ofttimes subjected to repeated handling which includes partial or complete Withdrawal thereof from the containers for purposes of examination. As such loose-leaf pages, particularly at the recesses or openings thereof, are `easily torn, this repeated handling results in considerable damage or injury thereto, whereby many pages are rendered useless and unsaleable. The same is true of equivalent sheets of paper or other easily damaged material which are packaged and displayed for sale in a corresponding manner. The object of the invention is to provide a novel form of carton which constitutes an eiiicient container for the loose-leaf pages or equivalent sheets and which permits repeated withdrawals from and replacements of the sheets in the cartons for examination or other purposes Without material danger of tearing or otherwise damaging. the loose-leaf pages or equivalent sheets or other merchandise. Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which shows an example of the invention without dening its limits, Fig. 1 is a face view of the novel carton; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View, and Fig. 3 is a view of the blank from which the carton is constructed.

While the novel carton is shown in a shallow tray-like form specifically adapted for merchandising loose-leaf pages and is so described, it is to be distinctly understood that the dimensions and arrangement of said carton may be changed and that said carton may be utilized with equal efficiency for containing other forms of paper sheets or other merchandise.

In its illustrated form the carton comprises a back member 5 which is dimensioned and shaped to form the back of the carton and which, in the drawing, is of rectangular form as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Inwardly directed side members are foldably connected with the back member 5 along its opposite side edges, said side members in the illustrated example, consisting of side panels 6 hinged to the back member 5 along the side edges thereof, and front flaps 'I hinged to said side panels 6 and projecting inwardly therefrom as shown in Fig. 1; the front flaps I are relatively narrow and when folded into place accordingly have their opposed free edges in spaced 5 relation to each other as illustrated in Fig. 1. At intermediate points of their free edges, the front flaps 'I are provided with notches 8 located in transverse registry with each other and preferably of tapering form as indicated in Figs. 1 and 10 3. The hinged connection between the side panels 5 and the back member 5, and between the front flaps 'I and the side panels 5 may be effected in any suitable manner; if, as is preferred, the carton consists of a foldable blank 15 such as illustrated in Fig. 3, the hinged connections may simply consist of score lines 9 and Ill respectively, produced at the proper places upon said blank. In order to most efciently complete the carton, as will be more fully set forth here- 20 inafter, the side panels 6 are provided at their opposite ends with ilaps II foldably connected with said panels 5 along score lines I2 or hinged thereto in any other convenient manner.

The carton further includes a pair of end 25 members foldably connected with the back member 5 at its opposite ends, said members, in the operative closed condition of the carton, projecting toward each other in overlying relation to the side members or more specifically to the 30 front flaps 'I thereof, and together forming the front of the carton as will appear more fully hereinafter.

One of said end members constitutes a body member and consists of an end panel I3 hinged 35 to one end of said back member 5, for instance by being foldably connected with one'end edge thereof along a score line I4 which, in the illustrated example, is located in registry with the score lines I2 of the flaps Il at this end 40 of the carton as shown in Fig.'3; theend member referred to further consists of a front panel I5 which is hinged to the end panel I3, for instance by being foldably connected therewith along a score line I6 as illustrated in Fig. 3.45 i

In its preferred form the front panel I5 is formed with a tapering end, for instance by having its corners cut away along oblique lines I'I and is dimensioned to terminate in registry with the notches when occupying the position 50 shown in Fig. 1; the front panel I5 accordingly partly forms the front of the carton, and at said tapering end is provided with a locking nap I8 hinged to the panel I5 for instance along a score line I9. The locking iiap I8 preferably 55 divergesV outwardly along oblique lines 20 or their equivalent and is foldable in the notches 8 beneath the front flaps 1 to detachably lock said front panel I5 in place; with this arrangement the notches 8 and locking flaps I8 constitute Vco-operating means on the side members VVand body member, or specifically on the front flaps 1 and front panel I5 respectively whereby the latter is detachably interlocked with Said side members.

Theother end member which constitutes a cover member, consists of a second end panel 2I hinged to the other end of said back member 5 for instance, by being foldably connected with the other end edge thereof along a score line 2&2 located Yin registry with the score lines I2 at this end of the member 5 as shown i-n Fig. 3.

`The said other end member further' consists of a cover panel 23 hinged to the second end panel 2I for instanceY along a score line 24 and preferably having a tapering end 25..as illustratediin Figs. 1 and 3j in the .closed condition vof the carton the cover panel 23 is'folded over When the blank, shown in Fig. 3 is folded intoy shape along the respective Yscore lines or equivalenthinging means, the side `panels. 6 occupy positions 'approximately Yperpendicular to the Vvback member Y5 with the front flaps 1 projecting inwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said back member 5. Similarly the one end panel I3'occupies a position perpendicular to said Vback member 5 vwith the front panel I5 .y extendingv therefrom in overlying relation to the'front flaps 1 and with-thelocking flap I8 folded inwardly into the notches 8 beneath the front flaps 1 to lock said front panel I5 in place. The panel I5 thus partly forms the front of the carton, which in a direction beyond said panel I5 accordingly includes the open spaceV A between the front flaps 1 as long, as the cover panel 23 occupies the open position shown in Fig. 1.

This space A enables the contents of th carton to be readily inspected and at the same time facilitates the complete or partial removal of said contents from the carton without material danger of injury to the contents in question.

When the carton is completely closed the second end panel 2I occupies a position perpendicular to the back member 5 with the cover panel 23 folded over the front flaps 1` to complete the front of the carton and close the space A, and with the tongue 26 projecting Yinwardly through the notches 8' to releasably lock said cover panel 23 in place. In the completely folded and closed condition of the carton, the flaps I I are folded inwardly inside of the end panels I3 and 2I respectively.

Ashshown in Fig. 2 the inwardly extending locking naps YI8 and tongue 26 lie upon the surface of the merchandise B in the carton and because of their inherent resiliency vexert a slight pressureY thereon; if Athe merchandise consists of loose-leaf pages or equivalent sheets, this pressure develops a smoothing action thereon tending vto prevent said merchandise from becoming crumpled or otherwise injured in its Withdrawal from and insertion into the carton. At the same time the pressure developed by the flaps I8 and tongue 26 serves to maintain said merchandise in the most eicient condition in the carton. The carton includes Vno internal projections tending to develop a resistance to the withdrawal of the merchandise from or its insertion into the carton and accordingly adapts the latter particularly for merchandise which is easily torn or otherwise damaged.

The carton is simple in construction and easy to fold into position for use and in its normal condition, as a blank, is capable of being readily stored and shipped in large quantities in a minimum of space; because of its simplicityv the carton is also economical to produce.

It will be understood that the cartonli/s generallyconstructed of cardboard o r other material V'sufiiciently yieldablel to permit theinterlocking of the front flapsl 1 and the lfront panel I5 and the insertion of the tongue 26 into the notches 8 to be readily accomplished without injury to said material.

Various changes in the specific forms shownV and described'may be made within the scope of theV claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a back member, side panels hinged to said backV member along the opposite side edges thereof, front flaps hinged to said side panels and projecting inwardly therefrom in spaced relation to said back member, said front flapsV being provided with notches at intermediate' points of their free edges, an end panel hinged to said back member along one end edge thereof, a front panel hinged to said end panel and extending over said frontl flaps, said front panel having a tapering end located in registry with said notches and partly forming the front of the container, a locking flap hingedto the. tapering end of vsaid front panel and diverging outwardly therefrom, said locking flap being foldable in said Vnotches be.- neath said front flaps to lock said front panel in place, a second end panel hinged to said back member along the other Vend edge thereof, aV

cover panel hinged to said second end panel and arranged to fold over said front flaps Vto complete the frontfof the container, said cover panel having a tapering end adapted to register with said notches, and a tongue .hinged to the rtapering end of said cover panel and adapted to project inwardly through said notches to lockY said cover panel in place.

2. A container comprising a back member, inwardly directed side members hinged' to said back member along opposite side edges thereof and provided withv notches at intermediate points of their free edges, a'body member hinged to said back member along an end edge thereof and projecting over said side members, said body member bridging the space between said side members and terminating in a reduced end at said notches to partly form the front of the container, a locking flap hinged to said' body member at its reduced end and diverging outwardly therefrom, said locking flap being foldable in said notches beneath said side members to lock said vbody member in place, a cover lmember hinged to said back member along the op- CII posite end edge thereof and foldable over said side members to complete the front of the container, and a tongue hinged to said cover member and adapted to project inwardly through said notches to lock said cover member in place.

3. A container comprising a back member, inwardly directed side members hinged to said back member along opposite side edges thereof and provided with notches at intermediate points of their free edges, a body member hinged to said back member along an end edge thereof and projecting over said side members, said body member bridging the space between said side members and terminating at said notches to partly form the front of the container, a locking iiap hinged to said body member and foldable relatively thereto in a return direction in said notches beneath said side members tor lock said body member in place, a cover member hinged to said back member along the opposite end edge thereof and foldable over said side members to complete the front of the container, and a tongue hinged to said cover member and adapted to project inwardly through said notches to lock said cover member in place.

4. A container comprising a back member. side members foldably connected with said back member along opposite edges thereof and projecting inwardly in spaced relation to said back member, said side members being provided at the inner edges with inwardly open notches, a body member foldably connected with said back member along an edge thereof and overlying said side members, said body member terminating at said notches and converging inwardly to a width corresponding approximately to the distance between the closed ends of said notches, means foldably connected with said body member at said converging end and foldable in a return direction in said notches beneath said side members to secure said body member in interlocking connection with said side members, and a cover member foldably connected with said back member along the opposite edge Vthereof and foldable over said side members to complete the front of the container.

HAROLD L. MYERS. 

